News

For the second time this week. Another college scholarship signing will be held at Cannon County High School. 
Director of Cannon County Schools William F. Curtis, Cannon County High School Principal Courtney Nichols, CCHS Athletic Director Matt Cagle, and CCHS Boys Basketball Coach Carlos Smith have announced Cannon County High School Senior Boys Basketball Player Brandon Miles will sign with Cumberland University to continue his basketball career.  The announcement is scheduled for 10:00am in the cafeteria at the high school
 
Cumberland University is a student-centered institution of higher learning committed to providing a transformational liberal arts education designed to prepare students to have successful careers and lead impactful lives. Cumberland University is located in Lebanon, Tennessee with a total enrollment of 2,314 students.  The Cumberland Phoenix Basketball Program’s Head Coach is Jeremy Lewis join Cumberland program as head coach for men’s basketball, after spending the previous nine seasons as the women’s coach for the Phoenix. Lewis just completed his 13th season as a full-time coach at his alma mater and his 17th year as a member of the Cumberland family as both a player and coach. 
 

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) is joining other state and national regulators to warn consumers about reports of people claiming to represent genetic testing firms who are visiting senior living communities, assisted living facilities and senior centers to swab seniors’ cheeks purportedly to collect genetic material in order to screen for cancer or other life-threatening diseases. Instead, these people are reportedly acquiring consumers’ sensitive personal information under the guise of DNA testing and should be avoided. 
The scams’ victims are sometimes under the impression that the cost of testing would be covered by Medicare. If a non-cancer patient is brought in for genetic testing under the pretense that it would be covered by Medicare, this may be a scam. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have set forth guidelines as to when Medicare will allow and pay for these services. CMS has determined that Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) as a diagnostic laboratory test, when performed in an approved and certified laboratory and when ordered by a treating physician, is allowed when all CMS requirements have been met.
 
CMS officials urge Medicare recipients to report concerns about suspicious activity to its toll-free number, 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).
If you or a loved one is approached by someone claiming to offer genetic testing, remember:

Never give your personal information (like your Medicare or Social Security information) to someone you do not know.

Don’t sign any papers unless you ask questions first and talk about it with your family.

Be skeptical. If it sounds like too good a deal, it probably is.

 

Director of Cannon County Schools William F. Curtis, Cannon County High School Principal Courtney Nichols, CCHS Athletic Director Matt Cagle, and CCHS Soccer Coach Ken Lockhart announce that on Monday, May 6th, 2019 in the Cannon County High School Cafeteria at 2:00 PM, CCHS Senior Soccer Player Camden Davis will sign with Cumberland University to continue his soccer career.  Camden is the second male Soccer signee in Cannon County High School history. 
Cumberland University is a student-centered institution of higher learning committed to providing a transformational liberal arts education designed to prepare students to have successful careers and lead impactful lives. Cumberland University is located in Lebanon, Tennessee with a total enrollment of 2,314 students.  The Cumberland Phoenix Soccer Program’s Head Coach is Austin Grant in his second year with the school and tallied during the 2018 Season an Overall Record of 10-5-4 and a 6-0-1 in the Mid-South Conference.
 

Cannon County’s search continues for legal representation.  After assuming office, County Executive Brent Bush began the search for a county attorney to replace Mike Corley who now oversees the local natural gas utility district. 
County Executive Bush interviewed several candidates and decided Chris Coates experience and background was the best choice.
 
At last month’s commission meeting, terms were discussed for a working agreement and it was decided that a variety of choices would be presented at this month’s meeting for the board to consider.
 
At last week’s meeting, three different agreements for presented for full and part time employment of Coats were on the agenda.  Commissioners rejected all three.
 

Despite the wet start to spring, sweet and juicy strawberries are prime for picking in most areas of Tennessee. If you are looking for the freshest berries, you need to go straight to the farm.
In Middle Tennessee, berries are selling fast. “We sold 65 gallons of strawberries within the first hour of opening,” Jon Kelley of Kelley’s berries in Trousdale County said. “The first week in May is generally the best time to visit the strawberry patch. However, we will have ripe strawberries well into June.”

Never picked fresh strawberries before? To learn more about the picking process for the farm you are going to visit, all you have to do is call and ask. Farmers also suggest calling ahead of time to ensure that berries are available. If you want fresh strawberries without the work, many farms provide the option for customers to purchase already-picked strawberries.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of Tennessee strawberry farms has increased by almost 4% during the last five years. The traditional season lasts about four to six weeks, depending on weather—so the best tasting strawberries you’ve ever had won’t last long.

Support your local economy and buy fresh strawberries from your local farmer today. Go to www.PickTNProducts.org or use the free Pick Tennessee mobile app to find a farm near you. Follow “PickTNProducts” on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more about seasonal recipes, products, and activities.

Employees of Cannon County government who participate in the state’s consolidated retirement program will notice a change in the new fiscal year. 
In most accounts, the employer makes a percentage match to the employees’ contributions.  Currently, employees of Cannon County government get an 8.55 matching amount. The amount can be subject to change on an annual basis.  At the May meeting, Commissioners voted to lower that matching amount 1.94.
 
The new rate is the minimum accepted by the state.
 

Over the course of the two-week April recess, Congressman John Rose (TN-6) led a full schedule with stops in all 19 counties of the Sixth Congressional District. During a 1,523 mile tour, he hosted and attended over 65 meetings and events with hundreds of constituents.“I am committed to listening to the needs, concerns, and hopes of those in each county of Tennessee’s Sixth District. That commitment is why I chose to go to every one of our 19 counties in a whirlwind two weeks while also hosting regional town halls in all four corners of the district,” said Rose.
Congressman Rose traveled over 1,500 miles in the two weeks of April recess while meeting with the people who matter most, his constituents, in all 19 counties. From day one, he has prioritized time with the people of the Sixth District and this April recess was no exception.
“Every county has different needs (rural broadband, access to healthcare, infrastructure improvements, and more),” Rose continued, “but the hundreds of conversations with the good folks of Tennessee’s Sixth District reaffirmed that we all hope for the same opportunities: the promise of a good job, a safe and secure nation, and greater freedom tomorrow than we have today. I share these hopes, and it is my great privilege to continue the fight for these Tennessee values in the United States Congress.”
Congressman John Rose represents Tennessee’s Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.
 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the close of the 2019 legislative session, a session which included the unanimous passage of his budget as well as the passage of his full agenda as outlined during his State of the State address in March. 
 
“In March, I presented our budget and a series of priorities which I believe will be foundational to making Tennessee a leader in the nation,” said Lee. “Working with the General Assembly leadership and members, we passed reforms that will continue to build on the momentum our state has seen in recent years.”
 
 
Gov. Lee’s slate of priorities included 16 legislative initiatives to work towards strengthening public education and school choice, enhancing workforce development, addressing criminal justice reform and public safety, promoting good government and developing solutions for rural Tennessee.
 
 
The passage of the fiscal year 2020 budget marked the first unanimous budget approval from the General Assembly since 2011. Notably, this budget includes a historic deposit to the state’s Rainy Day Fund that will elevate reserves to over $1.1 billion. Tax cuts included a full repeal of the Gym Tax, the elimination of sales and use tax on agricultural trailers and a reduction to the professional privilege tax.
 
 
“I commend the General Assembly for their work this session and I look forward to joining members in their districts in the coming months to highlight all that was accomplished this session” said Lee. “I am especially pleased with the outcome of the budget and our joint commitment to making sure Tennessee is well-managed and fiscally sound.”
 
 
Highlights from Gov. Lee’s legislative agenda include the following:
 
 
Strengthening Public Education and Expanding School Choice
 

Creating the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) to expand access to vocational and technical training to students

Establishing an education savings account program to expand school choice for low-income students in Davidson and Shelby counties

Creating the Future Workforce Initiative to prepare students for the jobs of the future in science, technology, engineering and math

A $71 million investment in pay raises for teachers across Tennessee and investment in professional development programming

A three-year pilot program to provide support services for high school students in Tennessee’s 15 distressed counties

Establish the Governor’s Civics Instructional Seal to support and recognize schools that prioritize teaching our nation’s history and civic values

Investing an additional $175 million in new funding to support teachers and students in public schools

Establishing an independent statewide charter school authorizer and adding $6 million to the charter school facilities fund

 
 
Enhancing Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform
 

Investing $40 million in school safety enhancements

Increasing penalties for trafficking fentanyl

Increasing the training pay supplement for firefighters and police officers

Increasing salaries for corrections professionals

Expanding the Electronic Monitoring Indigency fund to reduce needs for pre-trial incarceration

Eliminating the state fee for the expungement of records for those who have paid their debt to society

$5 million to expand recovery courts and services for people in the justice system with drug abuse issues

$4 million investment in pre-release rehabilitation and education for incarcerated individuals

 
 
Investing in Health Care and Good Government Initiatives
 

Establishing the Office of Faith Based Initiatives to support partnerships with the non-profit community

Expanding the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with an additional 24 positions dedicated to identifying fraud and waste

Investing an additional $11 million to support mental health services through the behavioral health safety net and regional mental institutes.

Increasing funding for graduate medical education at Tennessee’s medical schools and critical incentive programs that provide financial support to resident physicians who commit to living and working in our rural communities

Investing an additional $2 million recurring for the primary care safety net for federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) and community- and faith-based clinics, providing primary care services to low-income, uninsured adults

A $3 million recurring increase to support medical students who agree to work in an underserved area after graduation. These state dollars would draw down an additional $5.7 million in federal funds

$11.9 million investment to maintain pay increases funded in last year’s budget for providers delivering services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

 

A common phrase heard at county commission meetings is; “were kicking the can down the road.”  Normally it is used by some commissioners when action is delayed on the school roof question.  At the monthly meeting of the Cannon County Commission Thursday night, the can was kicked again. Commissioners took up the question of how much to allocate, the rate type and length of the loan.  Questions that were addressed at earlier meetings.  The decision was reached to have new numbers prepared before voting on the issue. 
One issue was resolved, commissioners agreed to sunset (or end) the wheel tax.  The wheel tax is applied to retire the debt on schools. The forty-dollar motor vehicle privilege tax is forecast to retire the current debt and the roof project cost by May 25th, 2026. Commissioners also agreed if the debt is retired prior to 2026, the tax would end at that time.
 
The meeting did not end last night, it was recessed until the revised financing numbers arrive from advisors.